236 XL VII. LEGUMINOS^. Cassia. 



loose, terminal; Uf^. subglobose. — A plant with bluish-green foliage, frequent in 

 dry soils, Can. and U. S. Stem very bushy, about 2f high. Leaflets about 7" 

 by 4 — 6", emarginate, petiole 1 — 2" long. Flowers 6 — 12 or more in each ra- 

 ceme. Petals 6" long, yellow. Legume about as large as a pea, on a long 

 stipe, mostly 1-seeded. Jl. — Sept. 



2. B. i-EucoPHAEA. Nutt. OchroUucous Baptisia. 



Villous; petioles almost 0; Ifts. oblanceolate, varying to obovate ; stip. and 

 bracts large, triangular-ovate, persistent; rac. secund, with numerous flowers 

 drooping on long pedicels ; leg. ovoid or roundish, inflated. — Dry, rich soil, South- 

 ern ! and Western States ! Stem 2 — 3f high, smoothish when'old. Leaflets 2 — 

 3' by i — 2', stipules more than half as large. Raceme 40 — 60-flowered. Pedi- 

 cels 1 — 2' long. Corollas very large, ochroleucous. Apr. 



3. B. LEUCANTHA. Torr. & Gray. (B. alba. Hook.) WliUe-Jlowered Bapl. 



Glabrous and glaucous ; lis. on .'^hort petioles ; IJis. cuneiform-obovate, ob- 

 tuse; rac. long, erect; ^mc/5 caducous ; leg. inflated, "stipitate. — Very conspicu- 

 ous in prairies, &c., Mich. la. ! to Ark. Stem thick, 2 — 3f high, branches 

 about 3, towards the summit. Racemes terminal, of large, white flowers, G — 

 24' long, showy. Leaflets 1 — 2' long, h as Vv'ide, turning bluish-black in dry- 

 ing. Jn. Jl. 



4. B. AUSTRALis. R. Br. (B. coerulea. Null.) Blue-jioioered Baptisia. 

 Glabrous ; petioles short ; Ifts. obovate, or somewhat oblong, obtuse ; slip. 



lanceolate, rather longer than the petioles, distinct at base; rac. long, erect; 

 brads caducous ; pedicels rather shorter than the calyx ; kg. oblong-oval, stipe 

 long as the calyx. — Alluvial soils, Ohio river, C'^/A-/ Harper's Ferry ! to Ga. 

 and La. Stem 2— 3f high, branched. Petioles 1 — G" long. Leaflets If — 3' by 

 I — 1', sometimes acute. Stipules | — 1' long. Flowers indigo-blue, large. Pod 

 about 2' long. Jn. — Aug. 



34. CERCIS. 

 Gr. KepKig, a weaver's shuttle ; from the form of the legumes. 



Calyx broadly campanulate, S-toothed ; petals scarcely papiliona- 

 ceous, all distinct : wings longer than the vexillum and smaller than 

 the keel petals ; stamens 1 0, distinct : legume compressed, with the 

 seed-bearing suture winged ; seeds obovate. — Trees loith simple^ cor- 

 date leaves and rose-colored fiowers. 



C. CANADENSIS. Judas Tree. Red-bud. 



Lts. broadly ovate-cordate, acuminate, villous on the veins beneath. — A 

 handsome tree, 20 — 30f high. Mid. and W. States. The wood is finely veined 

 with black and green, and receives a fine polish. Leaves 3 — ^i'by-1 — 5', entire, 

 smooth, 7- veined, on petioles 1 — 2' long. The flowers appear in advance of the 

 leaves, usually in abundance, in small, lateral clusteis. Corolla bright purple. 

 May. — The young twigs will dye wool a nankeen color. The old author Gerarde 

 in compliance witli the popular notion of his time, says '-This is the tree 

 whereon Judas did hang himself, and not on the elder tree, as it is said." 



Suborder 2.— C iESALPINiE. 



Corolla not papilionaceous, irregular. Stamens 10 or fewer, all distinct. 

 35."CASSIA. 



From the Hebrew word Katzioth. 



Sepals 5, scarcely united at base, nearly equal ; petals 5, unequal, 

 but not papilionaceous ; stamens 10, distinct; 3 upper anthers often 

 sterile, 3 lower ones beaked; legume many-seeded. — Trees^ shrubs or 

 herbs. Lvs. sijjipli/, abruptly/ pinnate. 



1. C. Marilandica. American Senna. 



Plant smooth; l/(s. G — 9 pairs, oblong-lanceolate, mucronate, an obovoid 

 gland near the ba.se of the common petiole ; Jls. in axillary racemes and termi- 

 nal panicles. — % This beautiful plant is frequently met with in alluvial soils, 

 (U. S.) growing in close masses, 3— 5f high. Stem round, striate, often with 



